Former world number one
Andy Roddick has backed countryman Reilly
Opelka’s comments about the restructuring of the doubles event at the US Open. The
fourth and final Grand Slam of the year in 2025 will have a new format for the
mixed doubles competition.
This year, the tournament will feature 16 teams in the mixed
doubles, which is exactly half of what the tournament had last year. That’s not it, as
the matches will now be organised in three sets with four games each, and the
tiebreak will be of 10 points. Only the final will consist of three sets, and
six games will be played between players. That’s not it as the competition will
be held during the fan week.
Opelka, who was once regarded as the next big thing, has
already spoken about the issue. He recently took a dig at the authorities
and asked them to get rid of the doubles event completely. "They should
get rid of doubles 100%," he said recently. " That's for singles
players who have failed, there's no such thing as a 'doubles specialist'...
they don't sell a single ticket, they take up practice courts, physios and
resources, they don't make a profit and they complain about not making enough
money. It's pretty greedy behaviour if you ask me. The best solution would be
to reduce the doubles draw to 8 teams and only allow singles players to enter.
Or... just get rid of it."
Former world number one Roddick has recently quoted in a
report where he backed Opelka’s criticism of the authorities about their
dealing of the doubles event. “Reilly Opelka love him or hate him, you rarely
have to wonder what he is thinking and he is certainly not scared to tell you
what he is thinking,” he said while speaking on his podcast. “So regardless of
whether you agree with his opinion, I kind of like characters like Reilly who
will just say what they think. I disagree with him on some of the stuff he says
but you don’t have to wonder what he is thinking.”